The much-lauded Chutney Mary has been awarded all sorts of accolades: everything from Indian Restaurant of the Year to Best Indian Restaurant in the UK. It’s a hard reputation to live up to, but the food more than speaks for itself.

The Venue
It’s hard to think of King’s Road as nondescript, but the western end of it, where Chutney Mary is located, could be pretty much any road in London – not necessarily one of the most recognisable street names in the capital. Caught between an unremarkable office block and a busy overpass, if not for Chutney Mary’s bright sign and bold wooden doors, you might miss it.

Inside, though, is another story entirely. Dim lighting and low sofas and seats in the entry area set the relaxing tone for the rest of the evening. Downstairs the restaurant remains atmospherically dark, but bright touches of framed glittery scarves and tapestries brighten things up. Off to the side of the main dining area is the conservatory, where circles of tables are clustered around a young tree. The outer circle of tables seat two, but the inner circle, with low, curved sofas, can seat more comfortably. Draped with greenery and hanging plants, the conservatory area would be particularly nice at night. Although the view is slightly spoiled by the ubiquitous office block neighbour, after a drink or two it won’t really matter.

The Atmosphere
Although not overly lavish, the restaurant is opulent enough whilst still being comfortable. The customers are a mix of couples, Chelsea businesspeople and groups of friends and families celebrating special occasions. Staff are friendly and confident in their knowledge of the menu – this is a place where you could quite easily take someone who’s a newcomer to Indian food, as all questions on the menu will be answered without hesitation.

The Food
If you come to this restaurant expecting Chelsea prices you’ll be happily disappointed. Most dishes hover at about £13, and the most expensive dishes are £21 for seafood. A nine course tasting menu is available as well, for £45 and £90 with wine. Chutney Mary prides itself on the variety of regions that its menu includes, and a quick glance will see many names that are recognisable to fans of Indian food. There’s nothing outlandish about the food here, everything is cooked with a maximum of talent but with a minimum of fuss.

Those that like mild and creamy food should try the chandini tikka chicken starter, a generous piece of white meat chicken surrounded by a fluffy, light and crisp egg white coating with a tiny silver leaf flower on top. The chicken is cooked wonderfully and is so juicy that you almost don’t even need the pale, hummus-like peanut chutney or the fresh shredded sliced papaya salad that accompanies it. The crispy rock shrimp is another recommended starter: cooked in a light, almost-tempura light batter and accompanied by a zesty and sweet lime chilli chutney.

Mains are a cross section of classic Indian dishes: tikka masalas, biryanis and thalis all appear. The Punjabi vegetarian thali is a good choice for vegetarians, with pots of vegetables as well as a pot of rice with fried lentil cakes: soft spinach; firm, almost squeaky cubes of cheese, crisp potatoes and cauliflower and creamy yellow lentils. The lamb ghazala is thick, meaty and juicy circles of lamb stacked on a shallow dish with a layer of spicy yellow tumeric-flavoured sauce and a cake of piquant rice laced with chillies. The naan is a good accompaniment, crisp and soft at the same time and not in the least bit greasy, whilst the kulcha is naan that’s been covered with finely sliced spring onions.

Desserts are nicely portioned so that you’re not too full at the end of the meal. The ginger bread and butter pudding is a traditional British favourite with an Indian twist: thick and flavoured with a nice hint of ginger and a refreshing orange and saffron sorbet. The gulab jamun – this one a traditional Indian favourite – are three moist and honey-sweet donuts accompanied by an icy and sharp rhubarb ice cream.

The Drink
A few interesting, tropical-sounding names like Berry Daiquiri and Mango and Lime Margarita make up the cocktail list, priced at around £7 - £8, and non-alcoholic drinks are available as well. The wine list is four pages and priced at a reasonable range of £17.50 - £69, with a decent sprinkling of New World bottles amongst the French and Italian choices. The house white is a Lerane 2006 Terret/Viognier Vin de Pays d'Oc, a crisp, fruity wine that’s neither too dry nor too sweet. Normal teas and flowering teas are available as well.

The Last Word
There’s a reason that Chutney Mary has so many people singing its praises: high quality, expertly flavoured Indian food at decent prices. If you like Indian food you won’t be disappointed.

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